Fibroblast growth factor enhances the interleukin-1-mediated chondrocytic protease release

The unfractionated macrophage-conditioned medium stimulates the chondrocytes to produce high levels of proteases. Purified IL-1 preparations exhibit significantly lower activity towards chondrocytes. This IL-1 mediated effect can be enhanced in presence of fibroblast growth factor, suggesting that other factors may collaborate with IL-1, in events leading to the cartilage destruction in vivo.     

Fluidity,permeability and antioxidant behaviour of model membranes incorporated with α-tocopherol and vitamin E acetate

Magnetic resonance studies reveal a marked difference between the binding of α-tocopherol and that of the corresponding acetate (vitamin E acetate) with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles. This is reflected in differences in the phase-transition curves of the DPPC vesicles incorporated with the two compounds, as well as in the ¹³C relaxation times and line widths. A model for the incorporation of these molecules in lipid bilayers has been suggested. α-Tocopherol binds strongly with the lipids, possibly through a hydrogen bond formation between the hydroxyl group of the former and one of the oxygen atoms of the latter. The possibility of such a hydrogen bond formation is excluded in vitamin E acetate, which binds loosely through the normal hydrophobic interaction. The model for lipid-vitamin interaction explains the in vitro decomposition of H₂O₂ by α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol in conjuction with H₂O₂ can also act as a free-radical scavenger in the lipid phase. The incorporation of α-tocopherol and vitamin E acetate in DPPC vesicles enhances the permeability of lipid bilayers for small molecules such as sodium ascorbate.     

Modification of supported lipid membranes by atomic force microscopy

The atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to structurally modify supported lipid bilayers in a controlled quantitative manner. By increasing the force applied by the AFM tip, lipid was removed from the scanned area, leaving a cut through the lipid bilayer. Cuts were repaired with the AFM by scanning the region with a controlled force and driving lipid back into the cut. A slow self-annealing of cuts was also observed.     

Glucose oxidase immobilized electrode for potentiometric estimation of glucose

Glucose oxidase has been immobilized onto a thin platinum strip, by co-crosslinking with bovine serum albumin and glutaraldehyde. The retention of redox characteristics of glucose oxidase has been verified by cyclic voltammetry. The activity of the immobilized enzyme reduces to a quarter of its value when the enzyme is in solution but improves when coimmobilized with 1 urea. The potentiometric response builds up and remains stable after 100 s. It is sensitive to the thickness of the immobilizing matrix, pH and temperature. An improvement in the performance of the electrode has been achieved by coimmobilizing 2 urea and metal ions such as Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺. The presence of Cu has been proved to be detrimental. The electrode has been calibrated in the 0.1–5.0 mM glucose concentration range. It gives a stable response for more than 50 independent assays and can be stored for 60 days without significant loss of function.     

Exoprotease production by sporogenous and asporogenous mycobacillin non-producer mutants ofBacillus subtilis

Mycobacillin non-producers, whether sporogenous or asporogenous, possess less exoprotease, but effective exoprotease producers are not always good mycobacillin yielders. There might exist a minimum level of exoprotease formation for elaboration of mycobacillin.     

Significance of PELP1 in ER-negative breast cancer metastasis

Breast cancer metastasis is a major clinical problem. The molecular basis of breast cancer progression to metastasis remains poorly understood. PELP1 is an estrogen receptor (ER) coregulator that has been implicated as a proto-oncogene whose expression is deregulated in metastatic breast tumors and whose expression is retained in ER-negative tumors. We examined the mechanism and significance of PELP1-mediated signaling in ER-negative breast cancer progression using two ER-negative model cells (MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells) that stably express PELP1-shRNA. These model cells had reduced PELP1 expression (75% of endogenous levels) and exhibited less propensity to proliferate in growth assays in vitro. PELP1 downregulation substantially affected migration of ER-negative cells in Boyden chamber and invasion assays. Using mechanistic studies, we found that PELP1 modulated expression of several genes involved in the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), including MMPs, SNAIL, TWIST, and ZEB. In addition, PELP1 knockdown reduced the in vivo metastatic potential of ER-negative breast cancer cells and significantly reduced lung metastatic nodules in a xenograft assay. These results implicate PELP1 as having a role in ER-negative breast cancer metastasis, reveal novel mechanism of coregulator regulation of metastasis via promoting cell motility/EMT by modulating expression of genes, and suggest PELP1 may be a potential therapeutic target for metastatic ER-negative breast cancer.     

Characteristics of cellular immune responses to collagen type I or collagen type II

We have examined the murine cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to collagens type I (CI) and type II (CII) as measured by in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity responses. We have verified the histopathology and kinetics of the cell-mediated immune responses. Predominant cell-mediated responses were obtained 7, 10, or 14 days following immunization. A presumed antibody-mediated reaction was observed at later times (e.g., greater than 21 days following immunization). The CMI responses to the collagens show a strain-dependent relationship. For CI, the CMI response profile shows H-2b greater than or equal to H-2k = H-2q much greater than H-2d. For bovine CII, the response profile is H-2d greater than H-2b = H-2k = H-2q; the chick CII response profile is H-2q = H-2k greater than H-2b = H-2d, and in limited testing, only the H-2q strain could generate murine CII-specific cell-mediated immune responses. The CII-specific CMI response is cross-reactive with CII from several species of animals, but not with CI. Further, the collagen-specific CMI response can be elicited with certain cyanogen-bromide fragments of bovine CII. Finally, our study also demonstrates that there is a non-H-2-linked locus(i) involved in the development of CII-induced arthritis.     

A comparison of chemical pretreatment methods for improving saccharification of cotton stalks

The effectiveness of sulfuric acid (H(2)SO(4)), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), and ozone pretreatments for conversion of cotton stalks to ethanol was investigated. Ground cotton stalks at a solid loading of 10% (w/v) were pretreated with H(2)SO(4), NaOH, and H(2)O(2) at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% (w/v). Treatment temperatures of 90 degrees C and 121 degrees C at 15 psi were investigated for residence times of 30, 60, and 90 min. Ozone pretreatment was performed at 4 degrees C with constant sparging of stalks in water. Solids from H(2)SO(4), NaOH, and H(2)O(2) pretreatments (at 2%, 60 min, 121 degrees C/15 psi) showed significant lignin degradation and/or high sugar availability and hence were hydrolyzed by Celluclast 1.5L and Novozym 188 at 50 degrees C. Sulfuric acid pretreatment resulted in the highest xylan reduction (95.23% for 2% acid, 90 min, 121 degrees C/15 psi) but the lowest cellulose to glucose conversion during hydrolysis (23.85%). Sodium hydroxide pretreatment resulted in the highest level of delignification (65.63% for 2% NaOH, 90 min, 121 degrees C/15 psi) and cellulose conversion (60.8%). Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment resulted in significantly lower (p相似文献